GSOT Returns To The Edward Jones Dome

For those of you that have been waiting for some good football to return to the Edward Jones Dome today is that day. No Kurt Warner and Marshall Faulk are not returning, the New Orleans Saints are coming to town. The Saints may be the closest thing we have seen to the 1999 Greatest Show on Turf St. Louis Rams. Let's look at what the Saints will be bringing to the Lou today:

The 1999 St. Louis Rams had multiple weapons in Kurt Warner, Marshall Faulk, Isaac Bruce, Torry Holt, and Az-Zahir Hakim. Adding to that even fringe players like Robert Holcombe and Roland Williams combined for 11 TDs! That may be more TDs than the 2009 St. Louis Rams even score. The 1999 were known as the Greatest Show on Turf and for good reason. Every time the Rams had the ball you thought they were going to score. The Rams scored 526 points in 1999, while allowing only 242 for an unbelievable point differential of 284. This offense was flat out explosive. Warner threw for 4353 yards and 41 TDs! Marshall Faulk had 2429 total yards and 12 TDs. Isaac Bruce had almost 1200 yards receiving and 12 TDs. The Rams D was also solid, while playing the lead most of the time they were fast and aggressive and knew how to get the ball back to the offense. The 1999 St. Louis Rams had a + 5 takeaway advantage. Those were the days.

Well welcome back to 1999 as the 8-0 New Orleans fly into town. Look at these numbers and you will see many similarities between the teams. The 2009 New Orleans Saints are 8-0 and lead the league in points scored and total yards per game. The Saints are on a staggering pace to score 606 points, 80 more than the 1999 St. Louis Rams! There defense is middle of the pack at the moment and are on pace to allow 348 points which will give them a point differential of 258, nothing to sneeze at. They are however very fast and aggressive like the 1999 St. Louis Rams. The Saints lead the NFL in interceptions and are +8 on turnover differential already. The Saints are also on pace for 38 sacks which is not bad. On offense they have Drew Brees on pace for 4600+ yards and 34 TDs. They have a trio of backs in Piere Thomas, Mike Bell and Reggie Bush that can be explosive at times. Done are in the Marshall Faulk class but the Saints are on pace to rush for 2000+ yards in 2009. Marques Colston is their Isacc Bruce. Colston is on pace for 1200+ yards and 12 TDs. Colston is complemented by Devery Henderson and upcoming Robert Meachem very similar to Torry Holt and Az-Zahir Hakim. The Saints can also throw Jeremy Shockey at you. Shockey is probably playing the best he has played since coming into the league. The Saints special teams is the only piece they lack at the moment and the biggest difference between the two teams. Could you imagine the Saints with Percy Harvin!

For those of you that think the St. Louis Rams coming off a win and a bye week will pound Steven Jackson at the Saints and win this game I am afraid you are mistaken. I will however give you this little nugget. As we all know the 2008 St. Louis Rams beat the Dallas Cowboys. Do you remember mid-season 1999 the 6-1 St. Louis Rams lost to the Detroit Lions! It is the NFL so anything can happen but it should not happen today. You don't get a much bigger mis-match than the highest scoring team in the league going up against the lowest scoring team in the league.

My closing thought is for all of the Rams fans that continually make excuses for this team, and Marc Bulger. The 1999 St. Louis Rams were able to roll behind a line of Fred Miller, Tom Nutten, Andy McCollum, Adam Timmerman and Orlando Pace. Not all the highest of draft picks but it is nice to have a young Orlando Pace. This current Rams O-line has two first rounf draft picks, and two free agents that received 30+ million dollar contracts. I don't want to hear any more excuses. Teach them to block, change the scheme or get rid of them. Bulger step up in the pocket, be a man and throw the ball to the Rams receiver, put it in his hands, just do it. You have been sacked less than almost every QB in the league. Quit your bitchin and poutin and do what you got 65+ million dollars to do and that is to win football games. For all of you that say we always need better, and they have no chance just think about some things. The Saints and Drew Brees made household names of 7th round pick Marques Colston, and undrafted Lance Moore. In additon the Saints current O-line of Jermon Bushrod, Carl Hicks, Jonathan Goodwin, Jahri Evans and Jon Stinchcomb were drafted in the 4th, 5th, 5th, 4th and 2nd round respectively. I won't even tell you that the Saints have 11 players on the IR! So let's quit all the sad talk and play some football. Let's try to Outwit, Outplay and Outlast an opponent for once.

With all of that being said it looks pretty easy.

Prediction New Orleans Saints 37 - St. Louis Rams 6